Belong
by SouthernChickie
Summary: Set just after Children of the Gods, Sam takes the first steps to getting to know her new team.


Sam pulled up to the house and was a little relieved when there was no truck in the driveway. What had seemed like a good idea at the time became more and more a bad idea with every stoplight she hit. It felt strange, just showing up at her commanding officer's house unannounced. But, she didn't know how else to get in touch with Dr. Jackson who was staying with Col. O'Neill for the time being.

When she had first ventured though the Stargate and met the archeologist that had started it all it had almost felt like meeting a mythical figure. Then, it turned out he was just a normal history geek who had found his dream job living in the past. She had been immediately at ease with him and it seemed him with her.

Now that he was back on Earth and she was transferred to Colorado and they were both without friends it seemed like a good idea to get to know him a little better. Especially if they were going to be working together for the foreseeable future. He fluctuated between a happy go lucky type of guy to a quite withdrawn and depressed possibly widower- sometimes both in one day- and he just seemed like he needed a friend. The Colonel, while a competent leader who seemed to have all the good intentions in the world toward the nerd he'd left on another planet last year, didn't seem to be the best at reading Dr. Jackson and was more of a "suck it up and pretend it doesn't hurt" kind of guy.

As much as she wanted to tell herself that she was doing this for Dr. Jackson, she was doing it for herself as well. She was lonely, too, in this new town. She mostly worked alone in her lab and had always had a bit of difficulty when it came to making friends with fellow military personnel. As an Air Force Officer and a scientist, she fell into the realm of not fully being one or the other and it took awhile to break the ice.

Dr. Jackson was a scientist who was also on the front-line team for a major military organization, making him more than just a scientist but he certainly wasn't part of the good old boy's military club either. This was the first time Sam had someone who fell into the same ambiguous hole she did, and she wanted to take advantage of it.

She parked at the curb and approached the door as confidently as she could force herself to be. Sam hadn't gotten off to the best start with Col. O'Neill, but if they were all going to be working together someone had to take the lead in their socializing and bonding.

Plus, the Colonel's truck was gone, so they probably weren't home anyway. At least this way she can say she tried.

She knocked and counted the thirty. When there was no answer, she satisfied herself that she had done her part and turned to leave. The door opened just as she stepped off the porch.

"Hey," she heard Dr. Jackson say.

"Hi," she turned around, almost disappointed that someone had been home- but relieved that it wasn't the Colonel standing at the door barefoot with uncombed hair.

"Jack's not here," he told her. "But, he should be back soon if you want to wait."

"Oh," Sam faltered. Of course, he'd assume she was here for the Colonel.

"He's just on a beer run," he added, misreading her hesitation.

"I actually came by to see you," she told him, approaching the door.

"Oh," he seemed pleasantly surprised as he stepped aside to let her in. They stood awkwardly in the entryway. "Here I am…" he said with a shy smile.

Sam returned the smile. "And here I am…."

"Um…" he faltered, not sure how to go about hosting a guest in someone else's home while the rightful owner wasn't there. "You, um, want some coffee?"

"Sure." She followed him into the kitchen which was littered with takeout boxes, empty beer bottles, and dirty glasses.

Dr. Jackson got a clean cup from the cabinet and poured the offered coffee. "Do you want milk or anything?" he asked. "Captain Carter?" he prompted when she didn't respond.

She had never been in a CO's home before and hadn't thought it'd look like a bachelor pad.

"Sorry, no, black is fine." She took the offered cup. "And you can call me Sam," she added.

"Daniel," he nodded at her, returning the invitation of informality.

The tension eased, if not entirely broken, they went into the living room and sat.

Sam spotted a regulations manual on the coffee table with a coaster hastily tossed between two pages as a bookmark.

"Is the Colonel making you read that?" she asked.

Daniel shrugged and leaned back in the armchair he had taken when Sam sat on the couch. "I just thought if I was going to be working with you guys I should know the rules."

"You know as a civilian these don't really apply to you."

"I know," he nodded. "I guess it's the anthropologist in me. I like to get a feel for the culture."

"I thought you were an archeologist?" she asked.

He shrugged again, but some color rose in his cheeks thwarting his attempt at playing it cool. "Little bit of A, little bit of B."

She smiled and took a sip of her coffee.

"Like you," he continued. "Captain Doctor."

She chuckled at the joke. When they'd first met Daniel hadn't seemed sure what to call her- so he just went for broke and used both titles. "I was wondering if you wanted to get some dinner," she said feeling better about her plan. "Maybe get to know each other a little better, since we'll be working together."

"Tonight?" he asked.

"If you wanted."

"That'd be great, actually," he seemed truly relieved at the invitation. "Jack's got this poker night with other officers and I think they feel like they have to include me, and I felt a little like I had to accept- but I'd much rather go to dinner with you," he admitted. "I don't really fit in with the career military crowd…"

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm here," she said. "No mandatory fun."

"Great. I'll, uh, I'll just get changed real quick. It'll only take a minute."

"Sure. Take your time."

He walked off down the hallway and Sam allowed her curiosity to get the better of her. She got up and looked around the room, taking it in. There were the usual framed medals and commendations most officers had in their home, a couple model planes- not that she could picture the Colonel having the patience to put one together- and, most curiously, a few framed family portraits of the Colonel with a woman and a young boy. She hadn't known the Colonel was married, she didn't remember seeing a wedding ring, and he never mentioned a son. The bachelor pad of a house had no indication of a family living there. The decor was entirely masculine and there were no toys to be found.

"Carter."

She spun around at the sound of her name. Col. O'Neill was standing in the entry with two cases of beer in his hands.

"Sir," she snapped to attention on reflex, sloshing coffee in her haste to put it down.

He looked at her for a moment, then rolled his eyes. "Relax, Carter. There are towels in the kitchen," he added nodding at the small spill.

"Sorry, sir," she said rushing to fetch them.

"I said relax," he told her, following her into the kitchen and putting the beer down.

"Yes, sir," she nodded going back into the living room.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked casually when she came back to the kitchen to throw away the paper towels.

"I came to see Dr. Jac…. Daniel," she told him.

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"I thought we could go get dinner. Get to know each other a little better."

"A little team bonding," he nodded his understanding. "Not a bad idea."

"Thank you, sir."

He fidgeted with the beer cases for a moment before sighing. "Look, I have to ask, okay? But you two aren't going to become a problem, are you?"

Sam frowned. "Sir?"

"I think we have a good team here, I'd hate to have to transfer some people around."

She looked at him wide-eyed. Was he threatening to have her transferred? Just because she was female didn't mean she had a crush on every guy in her unit. Unbelievable! Of course, she'd be the first to go. He was looking for a reason to get rid of her.

"I don't think most people would put up with Daniel," he told her, reading her face. "He's a good kid, but a pain in the ass. I'd hate to lose him. He's got potential."

Sam relaxed a fraction. "He's not really my type, sir."

"Ah. Good then," he nodded, satisfied.

Sam relaxed a bit more. Maybe the Colonel wasn't such a bad guy. Maybe he regretted his missteps when they first met, too. High pressure situations aren't the best circumstances to first meet under. He seemed to be telling the truth, at least. As mean as it was, it felt good to know that if push came to shove the Colonel saw her as the priority.

"So where are you two kids off to?" Col. O'Neill asked, starting to unpack the beers into the empty refrigerator.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I thought I'd let Daniel decide. See if he's missed a favorite food or something while he was gone."

The Colonel nodded again, "I always want a nice congealed plate of sweet and sour pork," he told her. "Don't know why. Something about it. And none of that home made with the real ingredients stuff. I want a plate of MSG."

Sam smiled to herself. She had hoped to get to know Daniel a little better today. She hadn't counted on getting to know her CO as well.

"I crave salad," she admitted. "Spinach, mushrooms, olives, cheese…."

"That sounds a lot healthier," he said closing the refrigerator. "Guess we won't have to worry about you passing your physicals."

"I don't usually eat like that," Sam confided in him. "I think it's just wanting something fresh after months of MREs."

He nodded. Sam glanced at her watch as they stood awkwardly in the kitchen waiting for Daniel to reappear.

"He's probably brushing his teeth," Col. O'Neill told her in a low voice. "Apparently they weren't much on oral hygiene on Abydos and he's forgotten how nice it is. He's a sucker for fluoride." He winked at her. "If he had wanted to take a shower you'd be waiting for hours."

Sam nodded her understanding, not sure what to say.

"You know, we should do a team night," he continued, undeterred by her silence. "Take over the game room at the SGC or something so Teal'c can be there. Pizza and a movie."

"That sounds like a good idea, sir."

"Don't be modest, Carter. It was your idea," he told her.

"What was your idea?" Daniel asked coming around the corner.

"A team night," the Colonel answered for her before she could claim innocence. "A strong bond is important in the field," he added for the civilian's benefit.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, sure, makes sense. Uh, anyway, I hope you don't mind if I …."

Col. O'Neill waved him off. "You don't want to hang out at the retirement home when you have a chance to go to the disco."

Daniel stared blankly at him for a second, trying to process the joke. "Okay."

Sam smirked and made eye contact with the Colonel, who smiled back. She understood his sense of humor.

"Well, I guess we'll get out of your hair…" Daniel hedged. "You don't mind driving, do you?" he asked Sam. "I haven't quite worked it all out, yet."

"No problem. Car's right out front."

Once outside she felt herself relax more, being around a new CO always put her on edge. It took a lot to figure out their personality and quirks. What one CO thought was a great idea could get you a reprimand from another. Relying on reputation was never a solid bet, but Col. O'Neill was rumored to be a laid back and funny guy. It seemed that the rumor started with good reason.

They ended up at an Italian restaurant Daniel had noticed a couple of days ago. Apparently, he missed pasta when he was away from home.

"Thanks for being game for this," Sam said after they ordered. "I wasn't sure what you'd think."

"Thanks for thinking of it," he responded greedily digging into the garlic rolls. "You really saved me from a long boring night."

"Not much of a poker player?"

"Not really. I mean, I'm pretty good, actually, but it's just not very fun."

"People get mad when you take all their money?" she joked.

"They get really mad," he said. "They always end up thinking I'm cheating."

Sam eyed him, trying to figure out if it was a joke. He seemed like he was being serious. "Are you?"

He shrugged. "It's all just people watching with a little bit of statistics thrown in. It takes a few hands, but you figure it out."

She smiled. "Remind me to get you to teach me."

He smiled back. "Sure." They sat quietly. "I'm surprised you came by," he said after a while. "I would have figured you had plenty of friends to choose from."

"I'm new in town, too. I thought since we have that in common it'd be a good place to start."

He nodded. "Plus, we can actually talk without worrying about what we say," he added. "I'm terrified I'm going to blurt it out to every person I see on the street."

Sam shrugged this time. "You get used to it. Especially once you explain that you work for the military people tend to understand you can't explain. This is a town used to the uniform."

"And what do I say when they ask what the Air Force wants with an archeologist?"

Sam thought for a moment. "Tell them you're a translator," she said. "Or don't tell them you're an archeologist to being with," she added, testing the waters for his sense of humor.

It worked, and he grinned. "You make a fair point."

The waiter brought their salads and disappeared again.

"How do you handle your family?" Daniel asked. "Are they okay with 'no comment'?"

"My dad's a general," Sam explained. "And I don't really talk to my brother much."

"No mom?" he prodded gently.

"No. She died when I was a teenager. What about you?" she turned the question back on him. "How did you explain literally dropping off the face of the Earth for over a year?"

He said something unintelligible around a mouthful of salad, the caught himself and finished chewing. "Sorry, manners were a little different on Abydos," he apologized. "It's just me."

"What about your friends?"

He looked down at his plate. "Like I said. It's just me."

Sam didn't know how to respond. She watched him for a moment, trying to get a read on the situation. She was used to deflecting questions about her mother and her non-relationship with her father and brother. She'd never had to explain she didn't have anyone who'd notice if she disappeared.

He forced himself to brighten up and took a sip of his wine. "It's my fault anyway. I guess I should warn you… I'm a bit weird." He leaned in dramatically. "I believe in aliens," he whispered with a grin.

She laughed and leaned in. "Me too," she whispered back.

They leaned back, grinning at their shared joke.

"Did you, though?" Daniel asked. "Before, I mean."

Sam thought about her answer. "I was open to the possibility. It seems naive to think that we'd be the only intelligent life that evolved with so many planets around. I didn't think it'd quite be like this. Honestly, I'm a bit in awe over the whole thing. You obviously knew better."

"It was just a theory," he told her. "One I probably shouldn't have burnt so many bridges over. I didn't think I was going to start a revolution, but I was hoping to at least get a discussion going."

"No one ever debated your theories?" Sam asked, tapping into her academic side. She'd published a few papers, she knew how it was supposed to work.

"The only debate I started was if I was certifiably crazy or just a bit nutty… I'm a bit of a punchline these days," he admitted, watching carefully for her reaction.

She smiled at him and reached across the table, putting her hand over his. "Nutty or not, you were right. It's not your fault no one else could see it."

He smiled back. "Thanks."

They had spent so much time talking, that they had barely eaten their salads when the main course arrived. Sam was pleased with how well things were working out. Daniel was a bit shy but was willing to put himself out there to make this work. Originally, she'd been hoping tonight she'd manage to get her foot in the door and start building a rapport with him. Instead, he'd opened the door and invited her straight in. Literally and metaphorically. She was going to have to respond in kind.

"I'm really glad this is working out," she said, cutting into her lasagna. "I'm not usually so successful in things like this."

"Things like this?"

She nodded at the table, trying to indicate their situation as a whole. "I'm not usually the instigator. I tend to just get invited eventually."

"Really?" he tilted his head to the side. "But you're so pretty."

Sam frowned at him, an alarm slowly going off in the back of her mind. "What does that mean?" she asked.

His eyes went wide, realizing he had offended her. "I just mean that you seem like the popular type…" he tried to explain. "Not that you have to be pretty to be popular. Or that looks are an indicator of someone's worth as a person…." He fumbled and stopped himself, sighing. "Sorry. I meant to say that you seem like the type of person who would have a lot of friends."

She softened a little. "I'm not," she admitted. "I don't really fit in most places." When he didn't interrupt she continued. "Too much a tomboy to hang out with the girls, too much of a girl to hang out with the boys. Too much of a scientist to be an officer and too much of an officer to be a scientist."

Daniel nodded to himself. "The military doesn't exactly have the best track record of being an inclusive work environment. But I guess on an entirely civilian level I can empathize."

She didn't answer but waited for him to continue.

"I skipped middle school," he explained. "I was always significantly younger than the other kids in my class, so I never really learned how to make friends. I've been living by myself since I was sixteen…. I don't really know how to fit in with people, much less a specific category of them."

"You seemed to fit in…. there."

He barked out a laugh, then caught himself. "I was a literal alien. Once they got past thinking I was a god… I wasn't any good at the men's work I just got in the way in the mines, and even though I could pass for helpful with cooking that was women's work, so I wasn't allowed… I just sort of did my own thing most of the time. I just happened to marry into a family that gave me social standing. It wasn't that people didn't want me there, I just didn't belong."

"Okay," Sam admitted. "That last part sounds familiar."

He smiled shyly. "I like the idea of being weirdos together."

"We can be our own normal," Sam agreed, raising her wine glass.

Daniel raised his in return.

Dinner conversation came easily. Sam was glad it was all turning out so well. She could feel things clicking between them. She had been worried that she may have read Daniel wrong. That he was one of those low-key guys that despite never being top dog still longed to be part of the pack. Instead, she had found someone that she could see being lifelong friends with. She could feel the same hole in him she felt in herself, one that both had tried to fill with knowledge and academia. They got along immediately and that spark of comradery she'd felt on Abydos was still there.

When the bill came she had anticipated a lot of awkward politeness over who would pay, but he accepted her offer to split the bill without blinking and plopped down his share plus a generous tip. Sam's mother had always taught her that if she wanted to know the true measure of a person, look at not how they treat their equals, but those they were in a position of power over. It was hard to put that advice to work in a military context. Even outside of official settings get-togethers with the unit was always tinged with formality. There had been COs that she clicked with better than others, but the partition was completely gone dealing with a civilian.

She had been worried about the dynamic, people always shifted attitude towards her when they found out she was an officer in the Air Force. But Daniel seemed completely unphased, even oblivious, to the distinction. She'd forgotten what it was like to be just Sam, not Sam-the-Scientist, not Captain Carter, not Dr. Carter, but just plain old Sam.

It reminded her of being with her brother before they had stopped speaking to each other.

Daniel was smiling at her from across the table.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm really glad you thought of this," he said. "I can't remember the last time I had dinner with a friend."

"What about the Colonel?" she asked.

Daniel looked down at the table before answering. "Jack's a nice guy. But sometimes I feel like…I'm not really sure what he thinks of me. I used to think he couldn't stand me, and now…. Now I have no idea. I appreciate what he's doing for me. But… when I was a kid my best friend a neighbor of mine. He was my babysitter when I was younger and when I transferred to the upper school it was like he felt like he had to take care of me. He let me hang out with him and his friends so that the other kids wouldn't see me as easy pickings. I get that same feeling from Jack. Like he's protecting me from all you Air Force types."

"That must feel really patronizing."

"Yeah."

"I can empathize," she said.

He laughed. "You know, this may be pushing things, feel free to say no and I'll go do poker and cigars with the boys, but… you know what else I craved back on Abydos? Cookie Dough Ice Cream."

Sam smiled, seeing where this was going.

"If you're in, I'm buying." He added, sweetening the pot.

"That sounds like fun."

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next morning, Sam was fine turning her dialing program when there was a knock on her lab door.

"Sir." She got to her feet when she saw Col. O'Neill in the hall waiting for her to invite him in.

"Carter," he strode in casually, hands in his pockets. "I don't want to overstep so I'm going to say this only within the context of how this affects the team when we're off world," he started. "Last night was good for Daniel. If, and only if you are so inclined, you want to hang out some more you are always welcome around the house."

"Sir, I…"

He put up a hand to stop her. "I'm not one of those by-the-book guys. I know there are lines you and I have to worry about that you don't have with Daniel. I know there's a distinction. I respect the boundaries in place, but I believe that a close team makes for a strong team. That means I want you to be comfortable. Off the clock is off the clock."

"Thank you, sir." Sam wasn't sure how to react. She hadn't expected such sincerity from him. Behind all that swagger she'd expected nothing but more sarcasm.

"In that spirit, I'd like to do a team dinner night."

"I think that's a good idea, sir."

"It should, you thought of it," he reminded her.

She smiled self-consciously and nodded.

"So, are you free Thursday night? We'll do something here, low-key so Teal'c can be part of the inevitable shenanigans."

"I'll be there."

"Good. I'll make sure there's cake."

He smiled, satisfied, and turned on his heel, swaggering off down the hallway.

"Huh," Sam said to herself.

She had learned long ago to brace herself for the worst every time she got a new posting. The best-case scenario she had ever dealt with was when he unit allowed her to lurk around the fringes of the group. It was like Daniel had said it wasn't that she wasn't welcome- she just didn't belong.

She was starting to think that maybe she had found somewhere to belong.


End file.
